Return

That Night

Twilight huffed, breathing heavily in anger.  She tightened ropes on the wooden cart as her eyes grew heavier with her lack of slumber.  The stars littered the sky once more, as did the moon.  The entire day had been spent with Twilight wandering the kingdom in a weary, and broken state of mind.

"Can't tell me what I am.  Not Ready."She laughed quietly.  "I'll show her.  I'll show them all.  I'll show Celestia, I'll show Luna, Cadence!  I'll show Chrysalis that I am ready!"

She hopped on the cart, which she fitted with a magic powered engine, an invention of hers she introduced for Celestia.  Though the idea was not successful, due to the fact that only a few Unicorns would wield enough energy to power it for no more than thirty seconds.

Her horn glowed, and the engine begun to rattle and shudder.  The cart then moved forward at a moderate speed down the road.  A few ponies looked out there windows to see what was making all the noise, poking their heads out their shutters.

Twilight continued disturbing the residence she passed until she reached the edge of the city, where the magical barrier protecting the city from the blizzard outside stood.  As she approached it, it opened just big enough for her to fit through, revealing a road that had wheel tracks in them on the other side.

On the other side, the temperature dropped intensely.  Being Twilight, she immediately fixed this with an insulator spell, which made her own body attract any heat to keep her warm.

"I'll fix this.  I'll come back with..."Her hair begun to frizz as her pupils grew small, "her HEAD!"She laughed wickedly, before she powered the engine more, immediately increasing the speed of the cart.

In Canterlot, a certain changeling queen was busy having her changelings re-decorate the castle which stood above the great city.  Ponies locked themselves in their homes, and could only watch as the castle was growing darker and darker.

Queen Chrysalis walked into a room which housed many stained windows, each telling a story of Equestria's past.  One in particular enraged Chrysalis.  One of Cadence and Shining Armor representing her previous defeat in Canterlot.

"Minions!"She barked.  "Out with Celestia's throne.  NOW!"She ordered.  A group of changelings quickly picked up the throne where Celestia would sit, and threw it out of the window of Cadence and Shining Armor.  The window shattered, and shards of pink stained glass collapsed out, falling into the streets below.

Flags were suddenly dropped from the ceiling of the room, covering the Equestrian flags that were already there.  Each flag had a green heart covered in flames in the center of it.

"Tonight will be remembered as the night Canterlot fell to the hooves and horn of Queen Chrysalis, and her changeling army.  Parents and Grandparents will tell the story of my reign to their foals for generations!  So rise my army!  Rise, and take control of the entire city!  Out of the castle, into the streets!  Feed!  FEED!"Chrysalis finished her short speech with a wicked laugh.  Her changelings flew out of the castle like a hoard of angry wasps coming from their hive.

"Nothing can stop me..."She quietly said to herself.  "Nothing."

Twilight swiftly ran through the streets of Canterlot in the night.  "I'm coming for you Chrysalis."She muttered to herself.  She ran towards the castle, before being stopped by an envious sound.  The noise of Changelings could be heard.  She looked up at the castle, and saw the thousands changelings flying toward her.

To her left, a pile of hay and dried grassed lied.  She quickly jumped in, hiding herself from the insects that were now flying all around her.  She looked through the thick grasses, and saw that at least ten of them landed near her.

Two of them, landed right in front of her with their backs to the pile of hay.  Twilight looked for a way around, and saw nothing.  The streets and air were littered with changelings.  She'd be spotted in a heartbeat.

She observed the changelings around her, and noticed they all seemed incredibly tired, and unfocused.  The two in nearest to her seemed the worst.  Twilight had to make a decision quick.

And so she did.  She threw the two nearest changelings into the pile of hay with her, picking them up with her magic.  She quickly silenced them, and put them into a deep sleep using a sleep spell.  She looked out again, no changeling noticed.

"Gotta find a way by quickly."She said.  Finally, she found what she was looking for.  A street lamp that lit the road around her was nearby.  She quickly shot a beam of magic at it, and put it out.  The changelings, now startled and weary, looked around for the culprit.

Being Twilight, she simply casted a night vision spell on herself, and simply walked past the changelings with ease.  The changelings heard the trot of her steps, hissed.

"Who's there?"One of them asked.  Twilight did not respond, and simply continued across the bridge which lead to the castle.

Now, she cast another spell on herself, and disguised herself as a changeling.  Ahead of her, the walls of the castle stood tall, where more changelings stood guard.  As she tried to walk past, two changelings stepped in front of her, blocking her entry.  "State your business."One said.

"I wish to see the Queen."I responded.

"Nobody sees the Queen.  She's requested to be left alone!"The other responded.  Twilight huffed.

"Fine...be that way."She reversed the previous spell, and took her original form.  "DIE!"The two changelings stepped back in confusion and shock.  Twilight quickly struck them with her powerful magic, and threw them up over her.

"GET HER!"A changeling shouted, pointing its hoof at her.  Before she could blink, a small hoard of the bugs swarmed toward her.  Twilight was tackled without mercy, according to the changelings.

Inside the castle walls, a flash was seen, and the changelings turned their heads to see Twilight standing there.  "Nice Try."She quickly turned and ran.  The changelings flew after her.

As soon as she was in the castle, she closed the door behind her, locking herself in.  "Time to finish this..."She quietly said aloud.  She turned to observe what had been once Princess Celestia's castle.  Instead, she saw dark flags covering the Equestrian flags, and large green cocoons covering the ceiling.

"HEY!"She heard.  She turned, and saw Chrysalis standing across the room.  "I thought I said clearly...wait..."She paused and realized who stood before her.  "YOU!"

"You"Twilight responded.

"What do you think you're doing here?  How did you get past my guards?"She asked.

"How do you think?"Twilight teleported behind Chrysalis.

"You'll regret showing your face in front of me.  What do you even plan?"

"I plan to end this...to kill you."Twilight said wickedly.

"Oh, that sounds a bit harsh for a sweet little foal such as yourself."Chrysalis responded in a mocking tone.  "I'm wasting my time."She turned to leave.  A flash appeared in front of her as Twilight teleported, and blocked her path.

"You're not going anywhere."Twilight said.  "Now PAY!"Her horn glowed, and a beam of purple magic shot from it, streaking towards Chrysalis.

"Don't be such a foal..."Chrysalis simply said, before defending with her own magic.  It quickly deflected the shot from Twilight, sending it through a window.  "Aw, shame.  I kind of liked that window."

She retaliated, and fired a green beam of magic a Twilight.  Twilight did nothing, only to teleport a few feet to her left.  The beam missed her, and she struck back again.  The second attack had the same outcome.

"Do we really have to fight Twilight?  Why can't you see that I only want love.  I don't want to hurt anypony!"Chrysalis said.

"Then let Canterlot go!"Twilight responded.  She shot a third time, this time at the chandelier that hung above them.  It struck it, sending it down towards the two of them.

Chrysalis quickly jumped out of the way, as did Twilight.  "FOAL!"Chrysalis yelled.  "You could have killed us both."

"I'll die if it means you stopped, and Equestria is safe.  Give up!"Twilight ordered.

"What makes you think you can tell me what to do!?"Chrysalis stood up, and walked toward Twilight slowly.  "I am the one in control here.  I am the QUEEN!  I AM THE SUPREME RULER!"She yelled at the top of her lungs, and shot her second beam of magic at Twilight.

It struck her before she could react.  Twilight flew backwards, and slid across the floor.  She felt more pain, as Chrysalis shot again, and again.  "I won't let ANYPONY stand in my way!  Not Celestia, not LUNA, NOT EVEN YOU!"She shot again, and Twilight teleported out of sight.  "SHOW YOURSELF!"

Twilight quickly climbed the staircase that lead out the room, limping with each step.  She was immediately regretting her decision to try and attack Chrysalis on her own.  She climbed up the spiral staircase, and came out on to a stone bridge that lead to another tower opposite of the one she stood upon.

Far below her, lied Canterlot.  Dark, and dead in its own former glory, now under the control of an insect.  The cold wind now blew through her mane and fur, as she limped slowly across the bridge.  "Have to get away..."She said to herself.

She suddenly heard the noise of a screeching eagle, and looked up.  A flying patrol of changelings flew overhead, and spotted her.  "LOOK, THERE!"She heard.  Quickly, she ran on three legs to the other tower.  She leaped in, as the changelings swept by, nearly sending her over the side of the bridge.

"AH!"She yelled in pain, as she begun to tumble down the steps.  Down, down, and down.  She hit the wall of the tower, and came to a halt.  "Ahg!"She groaned in agony, as she gripped her back tightly.

She heard the hoofsteps of somepony coming from above her, and quickly got back on her hooves.  Before she could start walking, the changelings caught up with her, and tackled her.  Again, they begun tumbling down.  This time, the changelings were absorbing every impact.

Twilight used this to her advantage, and held the changelings on, aiming for the walls as they spiraled down the steps.  Two of them fell off after a few hits, but the last one held on until the bottom.

Twilight came out of the staircase into another room, and fell helplessly on the ground.  Her body wouldn't allow her to move.  She could only sit there and breathe.  Slowly, she moved her head to see the changeling was unconscious.

As her mind caught up, as did her breathe, she held herself up, and looked around.  Twilight was dazed with double vision making her head sway as if were on a pendulum.  She knew she couldn't fight in her current condition.  She had to get out of there, and quick.

She made her way towards a window, only to learn she wasn't even half way down to the lowest level of the castle.  Below, the ground seemed to grow farther away the longer she looked.

Her heart raced, looking for a way out.  Ahead of her, was a door that lead to another bridge.  Behind her was the staircase from which she came.

Twilight walked to the door slowly, and tried to push it open.  It wouldn't budge at first, but after a second try, it burst open, and Twilight found herself facing a numerous amount of awaiting changelings.  Chrysalis stood tall, in front of them all.

"You've been a fool Twilight, and now you will pay the price."She said in an evil tone.  Twilight backed away, and turned for the staircase, but the changelings were already blocking her path.  Chrysalis moved closer, as did the changelings.  Twilight backed away, and cornered herself upon a stained window.

"DIE!"Chrysalis shouted.  Her horn glowed green.  Twilight quickly reacted, and engulfed herself around a magic field to protect her.  Chrysalis shot a cold and dark flare of pure energy at the shield.  The shield simply absorbed the impact.

She continued to fire, as Twilight could only sit inside.  She grew weaker with every passing second, with every shot that struck her.  Twilight gritted her teeth in pain, as each shot grew more brutal than the last.

Twilight felt herself begin to lose herself, and begin to crumble.  As the beads of sweat slowly ran down her face, she felt herself being torn apart, unable to escape the grip.  She had made a mistake...one that would cost her, her own life.

One final shot from Chrysalis, and the shield broke.  Twilight flew back, her bodyweight pushing through the glass window.  The momentum was unimaginable.  She flew from the window, into the air, and towards the river that flowed in front of the castle.

Chrysalis watched, as she flew.  Twilight somehow managed to keep her consciousness, but only just.  She wept tears as she felt her self plummet, and fall to the ground.  As the ground came closer...she could only think of her friends...her family, and her mentor, who'd she would all leave behind.

"I'm sorry..."She quietly muttered to herself, before closing her eyes.  She cast a shield around her, using her last fragments of strength.  It glowed dim, and was fragile.  But if there was some chance it would save her life, she kept it around her.

*SPLASH*

Twilight struck the river with mighty force, sending water over the bridge nearby.  The shield shattered, and Twilight sunk for only a moment, before her density forced her up to float.  Her body flipped over on its back, and she was facing the sky.

Ponies looked out their windows at the lifeless body that flowed slowly down the river.  Many of them wept, as they recognized her as one of the princesses most dearest friends, and an element wielder.  They could only watch...Twilight was gone.

"NO!"Princess Celestia sprang up, startling the entire castle.  She fell off her hooves, gripping her chest tightly.  She heard the door burst open.

"SISTER!"Luna yelled, running to her aide.  Cadence was short to follow.

"What happened?"She asked.  Celestia didn't respond, only shed tears as she felt the unimaginable had become true.

"Speak Celestia."Luna pleaded.  Celestia opened her mouth, and breathed heavily.  "Breath...slowly.  Tell us what happened."

"It...it can't be true."Celestia, got up, and opened the bedroom window.  "Twilight...where's Twilight?"

"I'll go get her."Cadence said.  She quickly ran out the room.

"What's happened sister?"Luna asked once more.

"It's...It's Twilight.  I saw her die in my dreams...but it felt so real.  I must know if Twilight is alright."Celestia explained.

"Hush, no such thing has occurred.  It was just a nightmare..."Luna said to herself.  "Wait...no that can't be right.  I control who goes into a dream state...and I never sent you in."Luna reassured herself.

"Celestia..."Cadence said from behind them.  "Twilight's GONE!"